RED 2

ACTION/ADVENTURE, COMEDY

The Best Never Rest

8.0 out of 10 | DVD or RENTAL

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Rated: PG-13 Pervasive action and violence including frenetic gunplay, and for some language and drug material
Release Date: July 19, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

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Director: Dean Parisot
Writers: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, based on characters created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner
Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Byung-hun Lee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Neal McDonough, David Thewlis, Brian Cox

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SYNOPSIS:  Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.

REVIEW: Galaxy Quest and Fun with Dick and Jane director Dean Parisot tries to rein in Bruce Willis as he returns as Frank, a retired CIA agent designated as RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous). Based on a script by returning scribes Erich and Jon Hoeber, from the comic characters created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, Frank and his elite retirees find themselves in even deeper trouble against the government they served and a new international threat.

Frank (Bruce Willis, A Good Day to Die Hard) returns as an ex-CIA Cold War operative living in quiet retirement with his girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds), still labeled as a RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous). When his long time agent buddy Marvin (John Malkovich, Warm Bodies) is killed, Frank and Sarah go to ground and Frank is arrested and interrogated by a spook specialist Jack Horton (Neal McDonough, Captain America: The First Avenger) who asks him what he knows about Project Nightshade. Knowing nothing about the project, Frank escapes to discover and uncover what he can find out about the highly classified project. He is helped by a former soviet femme fatale Katja (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rock of Ages), a crack shot and former MI6 agent Victoria (Helen Mirren, Hitchcock) while being pursued by contract killer Han Cho Bai (Byung-hun Lee, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) who Frank shares a betraying past.

A sequel to the graphic novel turned movie RED, RED 2 is a action-packed, silly suspense dramedy that does not take itself too seriously. Tongue and cheek, Frank and his ex-agents deal with governments ready to put them out to pasture - permanently - a Cold War relic that could mean the death of millions, and a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the scope of any of their individual experiences and abilities. High on snark, rich with gunfire and close combat, and thundering with explosions, RED 2 is the perfect follow-up to the original and complement to the graphic novel series.

Bruce Willis as Frank finds himself struggling against years of operative training in order to settle down with his girlfriend Sarah. The problem is that his girlfriend has the adrenaline bug and just wants to go out on grand adventures. John Malkovich is at his strange and paranoid best as Marvin, but somehow the voice of reason when it comes to Frank's romantic life. Helen Mirren's Victoria is as stunning as she is dangerous, coupled with the exotic beauty and grace of Catherine Zeta Jones Katja. A couple other familiar faces show up in the sequel, as well as new threats.

RED 2 does not skip out on the high explosives, car chases, gun fights, and close quarters fighting. It also amps up the international espionage and intrigue by forcing Frank and his crew to save themselves by figuring out the Cold War era Project Nightshade to save themselves. Sprinting around the world, Frank and his gang encounter danger and threats from all sides.

If possible, RED 2 is somehow more grounded and believable then its original film counterpart. Remember when Malkovich's Marvin shot a handgun at a rocket propelled grenade? None of that is in this sequel, although there is still plenty of high intensity action for the adrenaline junkie fans of cinema. There still some unbelievable action sequences and you root for the good guys every time.

RED 2 is a grand old time at the movies, especially if you like Bruce Willis' tough guy roles and sheer firepower. Sedate moments throughout balance the raw and plentiful action, keeping this film a perfect trajectory for success.

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Knowings Half The Battle

7.8 out of 10 | DVD or Rental

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Rated: PG-13 Intense sequences of combat violence, brief sensuality, language, and martial arts actin
Release Date: March 28, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

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Director: Jon M. Chu
Writers:  Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, Ray Park, Bruce Willis, Jonathan Pryce, Byung-hun Lee, Elodie Yung, Luke Bracey, Walton Goggins, Arnold Vosloo, Joseph Mazzello, RZA, Jim Palmer, Matt Gerald

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SYNOPSIS:  The G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.

REVIEW: Director Jon M. Chu, known for his choreographed films such as Step Up 3D and his rockumentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, may not have been the first choice for an action/adventure genre film, but he is versed in 3D. Written by Zombieland scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, we can only hope that the Joes are in good hands.

After the fall and capture of cobra commander the G.I. Joes, led by Duke (Channing Tatum, Side Effects), run most of the United States government's covert military missions. When riots break out after the assassination of Pakistan's president, the Joes are deployed to the desert to find and retrieve nuclear warheads left in enemy hands amidst the chaos. When the mission is a success, the Joe team is ambushed by their own government and killed. Only a handful of Joes escape, including Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson, Fast Five), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki, Red Dawn - 2012) and Flint (D.J. Cotrona, Detroit 1-8-7). As they make their way to safer ground, the President (Jonathan Pryce, Dark Blood) who ordered the hit on the Joes reveals himself as the master shape changer Zartan (Arnold Vosloo, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) plotting to take over the world under the direction of Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey). With the assistance of Snake Eyes (Ray Park, Avarice), Jinx (Elodie Yung, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), cobra loyalist Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee, I Saw the Devil), and retired General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis,A Good Day to Die Hard), the Joes must fight against time and the empowered Cobra forces to stop nuclear war and total Cobra world domination.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is the long gestating and shelved sequel to the Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayan, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's original Hasbro action figure legacy. In the 1980s, the toy company created cartoons like Transformers, G.I. Joe, and He-Man and the Master of the Universe in an effort to sell their toy lines. Now, the cartoons and action figures have made the leap to the silver screen to popular effect.

With the sequel, Dwayne Johnson embodies the heavy gunner Roadblock, a staple of the Joe universe and the center of the sequel's story. Snake Eyes, Duke, and Storm Shadow return from the original Rise of Cobra. Cobra Commander returns from a cold imprisonment, voiced and cast by Luke Bracey instead of Gordon-Levitt. Sienna Miller's Baroness and Christopher Eccleston's Destro have been written out the story entirely or with a quick dismissive scene. New addition Firefly, played byRay Stevenson (Thor), gives the bad guys new life. He actually is the only major baddie in the whole bunch. Cobra Commander is used too sparingly, Storm Shadow is trying to find his own center, Zartan is busy with his presidential duties, and the aforementioned Baroness and Destro are gone completely. Other than nameless cobra soldiers, Firefly supplies enough southern arsonist craziness to keep the tables turned on the Joe team.

The story starts off strong, introducing the Joe team members like their statistic cards on the back of their action figure packaging. The Joe initial incursion to retrieve the stolen warheads is slick and well-choreographed, paving the way for an expectation of strong action throughout. But after Snake Eyes and Jinx raid a remote mountain retreat, the action and pace lags quite a bit, relying heavily on the characters left behind like Roadblock, Snake Eyes, and Firefly to complete the heavy lifting. Even General Joe Colton, Bruce Willis himself, comes across a little flat in spite of Willis' usual snarky and cock-sure demeanour.

The 3-D effects in G.I. Joe: Retaliation are pretty cool. The effects are used exceptionally well during the fight scenes and gun battles. When Snake Eyes and Jinx go on a retrieval mission in the mountains, the use of depth overhanging the sheer drops is very apparent. During these scenes be sure that you're not afraid of heights or have vertigo. I think the director's experience with dance choreography from Step Up 3D and his other films served him well to block out the action sequences.

A movie that starts off as a revenge film for fallen comrades in arms and morphs into a desperate attempt to save the world from overwhelming forces of evil oppressors starts off exciting enough, but ends up with a lack luster finish. The sequel does pick up where the original left off, continuing the same storyline, but not even 'The Rock' and Ray Stevenson can save it from itself.

For fans of the cartoon and the original film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is decent enough action fair to get the job done. But if you're looking for superior storytelling and over-the-top action you may want to look elsewhere. Now you know. And knowings half the battle!

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A Good Day To Die Hard

ACTION/ADVENTURE, SUSPENSE/THRILLER

Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Russia

8.0 out of 10 | MOVIE or DVD

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Rated: R Violence and language.
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes

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Director: John Moore
Writers: Skip Woods
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Yuliya Snigir, Rasha Bukvic, Cole Hauser, Roman Luknar, Sergei Kolesnikov

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SYNOPSIS:  John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.

REVIEW: John Moore, director of Mark Wahlberg's Max Payne and the Dennis Quaid remake of Flight of the Phoenix, returns to the helm after a five year absence to direct the fifth entry in the lone cowboy cop action series of the iconic character John McClane. Based on characters created for the screen by Roderick Thorp, The A-Team's writer Skip Woods churns out another McClane sequel in the hopes of keeping the genre defining action hero alive. 

A CIA field asset based in Moscow is put into play to carry out an assassination against a one of the two major players embroiled in a controversy involving a national Russian incident. When a man named Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch, Unknown) is transported to a Moscow courthouse for a hearing, the CIA agent is transported into the same courthouse. Back in New York City, Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis, Looper) finds that his son Jack (Jai Courtney, Jack Reacher) is been held for murder in Moscow and leaves his daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) behind to try and help Jack out of a tough spot. When a bomb exploded at the courthouse, the CIA agent pulls out Komarov before he is killed. During their getaway they nearly run down John McClane, the CIA agent realizing that his father is in front of him. After Komarov is secured, Jack and John have a blow out about the distractions and failures of John's fathering. Realizing that they are on their own with Komarov, John and Jack must team up to keep the underworld boss, and his daughter Irina (Yuliya Snigir) from a brutal death by his former partner Viktor Chargarin (Sergey Kolesnikov) and his top lieutenant Alik (Rasha Bukvic).

The character of John McClane is an enduring action hero who reinvented the action film genre back in 1988 with the original Die Hard, based on the 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp. Bruce Willis, fresh from the set of Moonlighting, ended up being perfect as the police officer visiting his estranged wife and two young children. The office Christmas party becomes something more violent when terrorist Hans Gruber takes over the party. Only lone wolf cop John McClane stands between Gruber and millions of dollars in bearer bonds. 'Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass.' McClane spawned a sequel at a snowy airport, another in the heart of New York against a disgruntled and slighted half brother, and one more with a reunion with a disenfranchised daughter and a fire sale surrounding the electronic wealth of the United States. Now, with keeping with the theme of reuniting with estranged family, John McClane travels thousands of miles to help his son out of a jam - even if Jack wants nothing to do with his absentee father.

In every Die Hard film, the strength of McClane's convictions is directly proportional to that of his villain. Alan Rickman's Gruber was suave and cool under pressure. William Sadler's Colonel Stuart was also cool under pressure, but could handle a weapon system or hand-to-hand combat with the best of them. Enter Jeremy Irons' Simon Gruber with a taste for gold and a terrible Texan drawl. Timothy Olyphant and his cyber expert Thomas Gabriel had the best intentions for the nation in mind, as long as the country was willing to pay for it. In A Good Day to Die Hard, Jack and John are faced with Russian underworld figures Komarov and Chagarin bent on each other's destruction, plus a slick henchman Alik who would have rather have been a dancer - but enjoys maiming and killing just as well. Neither Komarov and Chagarin carry themselves with the flair of past villains, but Alik was truly fun to watch even if he wasn't used to full effect.

Fans of the franchise will always argue about their favorite entry into the McClane universe. Each will have their reasons for liking a specific character, plot, or film. For A Good Day to Die Hard, fans should enjoy Jai Courtney's Jack McClane - a chip off the old block. As I said before, the character Alik is fun to watch. Willis' Detective John McClane is up to his old antics, even if he is a little slower off the draw. Snarky, cocky, and wise-cracking, McClane Sr. delivers on the lines, replaces brawling for bigger firepower, and sacrifices his health for the well-being of his namesake son. In my opinion, Die Hard 5 doesn't have the depth of plot that any of the other films have, but it tries to make up for it with the twists and turns of an extended vehicle chase through the streets of Moscow, the twists and turns of the story that Woods did turn in, and plentiful explosions, free-falls, and battered and bruised bodies.

Like many of the action heroes of the 80s and 90s, Bruce Willis continues to play at the action/adventure game. Sly Stallone has shown renewed success with The Expendables, Rocky Balboa, and Rambo. Shwarzenegger tried a lukewarm come back with The Last Stand. Willis has a full slate of films on the docket, including the new G.I. Joe sequel, the Red 2 film, and the new Sin City. While he is as busy as ever, Willis and his John McClane in the latest Die Hard seem to either be a passing of the torch or the reuniting of a family with the mission of providing closure. There may be more Die Hard films in the future, but A Good Day to Die Hard sets itself up as a swan song of sorts.

A Good Day to Die Hard is a bit of a departure from the typical John McClane formula. Its not as slick and cool as Live Free and Die Hard, or gritty as the first three films. But it does entertain with chases, firepower, and a grown up John McClane, Jr. who still doesn't know jack.

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Looper

A Strange Paradox

★ ★ ★ 1/2 out of 5 buckets | Matinee or DVD

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Rated: R Some sexuality and nudity, language, drug content and strong violence

Release Date: September 28, 2012

Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes

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Director: Rian Johnson
Writers: Rian Johnson
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Garret Dillahunt

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SYNOPSIS: In the near future, time travel is both possible and illegal, reserved for only the most influential crime organizations. In the closer future assassins called loopers kill and clean up the victims sent back in time for disposal. When Looper Joe is faced with 'closing the loop' on his own future self, he is forced to face the wrath of his employers and his future self bent on trying to save his own life.

REVIEW: Writer/director Rian Johnson, known for his first feature Brick and his follow-up The Brothers Bloom, reunites with his Brick star Joseph Gordon-Levitt for an attempt at a time traveling epic that turns the linear notion of history on its head.

In the near future, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Dark Knight Rises) works as a killer, a Looper, for a local crime syndicate. A Looper is given instructions to wait at a specific time and place outside of the city to kill people who are sent from the future for elimination and disposal. Time travel has been created thirty years farther in the future, and immediately outlawed - only used by the most influential organized criminals. Loopers are paid by Abe (Jeff Daniels, Good Night, and Good Luck), who is from the future himself and sent back in time to create the Looper program for his bosses in the future. When Joe's fellow Looper Seth (Paul Dano, Cowboys and Aliens) realizes that he is about to 'close the loop' on his own future self, he learns that a mysterious figure in the future named the Rainmaker is dismantling all of the Loopers, and has taken over all of the organized crime rackets. When Joe faces is own experience of 'closing the loop' on his own future self (Bruce Willis, Red), the younger Joe fails to eliminate his older version. By not carrying out the assignment, younger Joe suddenly finds himself the target of Abe and his Gats led by Kid Blue (Noah Segan, The Brothers Bloom), and by the older Joe. Realizing that the older Joe is desperate to regain his life and wife by hunting down and killing the child who may become the Rainmaker, the younger Joe tries to both protect said child Cid (Pierce Gagnon, The Crazies) and his mother Sara (Emily Blunt, The Five-Year Engagement) and eliminate his future self to 'close the loop'.

The genre that spawns stories of time travel has a very fickle audience. Successful entries into its folds includes Gregory Hoblit's Frequency, J.J Abrams' prequel/reboot/sequel Star Trek, and Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future. But for every perfectly scripted film, there are numerous others that miss the mark completely, either due to poor story or even worse execution. We could debate and go round and round about the dizzying effects of time travel, time-continuum, reality paradoxes, the cause and effect on concurrent versions of self, and more, but at the end of the day, the strength of these types of films hinge of the 'reality' of the physics being used.

When Seth's older self gets away from him and his blunderbuss, Seth faces the the wrath of Abe and his Gats for failing to carry out his assignment. In order to rectify the situation, Seth is slowly amputated a finger at a time, causing his older self to instantly lose the same digit or appendage immediately as an old scarred over wound. Using this fundamental space-time wrinkle of physics, writer/director Johnson sets the scientific stage for everything that comes after. Adding in references to discrepant cars with piping coming out of the tailpipes and dusty solar panels mounted on the hoods and roofs, massive over-population resulting in vagrant wars and destitution, a slick hovering future that still is not in the hands of the everyman, and a rampant development of low-grade telekinetic ability, Johnson paints a future that is not utterly bleak, but still has not solved the world's problems.

Bruce Willis continues with his capable, but dogged tortured man from the future, reminiscent of his performance in 12 Monkeys. Rian Johnson's go-to actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plays the barely blemished mirrored version of Joe, perfecting the tone and manners of his older version. In the diner scene where the older Joe tries to explain what is at stake for the both of them, Gordon-Levitt as the younger Joe responds with a familiar gravelly whisper that could have been spoken by a younger Willis himself. Emily Blunt plays the protective and hurt Sara, her only job to protect and raise the young Cid. Pierce Gagnon, who plays Cid, steals his scenes with an innocence nearly lost. Noah Segan as the bumbling, power-hungry, approval-mongering Kid Blue is a successful source of comic relief and simmering danger, while his time-traveling boss Abe, played by Jeff Daniels, speaks in an authoritative softness that betrays a glimpse of the future that he knows all too well.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the driving force in Looper. While he and Willis share the burden of screen-time, Gordon-Levitt's square jaw, piercing eyes, and practiced mannerisms are proof that he is no longer the little kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Even through the slow parts of the film, Gordon-Levitt is wonderful to watch. Only Pierce Gagnon's Cid gives Gordon-Levitt a run for his money.

Looper is a slick, intelligent film that should please the genre audience. Only one moment of space-time uncertainty at the end distracts from the continuity of the story (but only the over-thinking theater goer will jump to the wrong conclusion), but the tale-telling is smart and cool. Gordon-Levitt narrates the story like Harrison Ford from Blade Runner, making me wonder what future actually came first. 

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The Expendables 2

Expendable Viewing

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Rated: R  Strong bloody violence
Release Date: August 17, 2012
Runtime:  1 hour 43 minutes

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Director: Simon West
Writers: Richard Wenk, Sylvester Stallone, Ken Kaufman, David Agosto, Dave Callaham
Cast:  Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Scott Adkins, Nan Yu

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SYNOPSIS: Barney Ross and the Expendables are recruited again by Mr. Church for a job as payback for the previous mission they did not come through on. When one of their own is murdered, the Expendables seek revenge.

REVIEW: Simon West, director of Jason Statham's The Mechanic and Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, takes over directing duties from the first film's Barney Ross, Sylvester Stallone. Based on the original characters created by Stallone and Dave Callaham, writing duties are shared by Stallone, Richard Wenk (The Mechanic), Ken Kaufman (Space Cowboys), and David Agosto (Big Canyon). Just when you thought every blockbuster action star from the 80s and 90s received screen time in the original high-octane action adventure film, more well-loved but forgotten come out in force.

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham, The Mechanic) and the rest of the Expendables carry out a mission in Nepal to recover a rich Chinese business. Upon their return to the States, Mr. Church (Bruce Willis, REDS) confronts Barry about the five million dollars that he lost during Barney's previous mission for Church. Forced to carry out a retrieval mission for Church, Barney is also saddled with a new recruit named Maggie (Nan Yu, Speed Racer), who Church threatens bodily harm to Barney and the Expendables if she is hurt. Heading to Albania by plane, Barny, Lee, Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren, Rocky IV), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews, Bridesmaids), Toll Road (Randy Couture, Setup), Maggie, and young ex-Army sniper Billy (Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games) scour the countryside for the wreckage of a plane with a special cargo that Church does not want to fall into the wrong hands. When Barney and his team do retrieve the special device, they are ambushed by a group of mercenaries named the Sant, led by Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kung-Fu Panda 2). Forced to hand over the device to the Sant, Barry is given one more emotional blow when one of his Expendables is killed by Vilain. Vowing revenge against Vilain, Ross, Christmas, Maggie, and the rest of the team look to hunt down the Sant regardless of the consequences from Church or anyone else.

I remember when Stallone's The Expendables came out in 2010. What a nostalgic rush! A action flick with many of the greatest names of action from the 80s, 90s, and today on the same screen in the same darkened theater. It was an action geek's dream come true to see Stallone and Lundgren back together again (and on the same side this time). And even though Willis and Schwarzenegger were shown in the trailers, and we knew for certain they were playing characters in cameo appearances, we geeked out even more. Add in Jet Li, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture, and you had a hell of a top-billed mindless bullet- and blood-filled slug fest. Now, two years later, we get to add in Jean-Claude Van Damme as the villain Vilain and Chuck Norris as the lone wolf merc Booker to the character credits, with expanded screen time for both Willis' Mr. Church and Schwarzenegger's Trench. The expectation is that everything will be just that much bigger and better.

Heightened expectations may be one of The Expendables 2 main problems. With so many A-List action stars, there doesn't seem to be enough story for anyone. Willis and Schwarzenegger do get more screen time, but the time they do spend in front of the camera is primarily gun-toting money shots and cheesy one-liners. Hey, I am all for the cheesy one-liners, but they seemed expected and forced - only working half the time. And some (not all) of the action sequences are so silly that I was reminded of the Police Squad television series, or even the 80s Hasbro G.I. Joe cartoon. Mercenaries can't be that bad of shots with so much lead flying around. Hell! Even I can hit the heart of a paper target at fifty feet with a 9mm Glock 17! But while I complain about the gunfights, some of the more 'up close and personal' bloody and bone-crushing fight sequences are great. Jason Statham's knife play is excellent, especially when he dons the cleric's robes. Lundgren, Crews, and Couture make every shot count with their brawling prowess. And Van Damme shows that he still has it when the final showdown takes place between him and the pursuing Expendables.

Stallone remains the stoic reluctant mercenary who realizes too late that the life he chose is not the life he wants. At least he is good at it! Gunner and Yin Yang have made up so we do not get any team betrayals, and now that Lee Christmas has made up with his girlfriend, we do not get to see any Stateside ass-kicking. This time around all focus is on the mission and the villainy of the Van Damme's profiteering mercenary Sant leader Vilain and his lieutenant Hector (Scott Adkins, El Gringo), and what the Expendables are willing to do to stop them. There is plenty of bloody action and gun play to go around. The addition of Norris, Nan Yu, Hemsworth, and the expanded roles for Willis and Schwarzenegger fill the screen with plenty of action talent and multiple possibilities.

The addition of young blood sniper Billy the Kid by Liam Hemsworth and Nan Yu's Maggie does do something obviously different to the sequel. It makes the others look old! When Billy is told to take point by Ross he sprints up the hill with his ruck and weapon, leaving the others to wonder if they even had it in them to do the same. The writers, director, and actors are good sports about admitting that they are aging dinosaurs in a world of a younger breed. Their crankiness offers a few genuine laughs, especially when 'old married couple' Ross and Christmas nag at each other through most of the story.

The Expendables 2 is what you should expect from such a film. Lots of gun play, explosions, spraying blood, testosterone-filled quips and one-liners surround a lightly plotted story tying it all together. It is not necessarily better than the original, but it does continue in the same vein. Van Damme and Adkins are better villains than The Expendables David Zayas' General Garza in terms of physicality, but the quasi-political intrigue brought in by Eric Roberts' James Munroe and Willis' Mr. Church seemed bigger in scope in the original, if not bad-ass-ier.

The Expendables 2 will make some money from those who blood lust for bullets, blood, and all things action. Action movie junkies are a finicky bunch, but they have never let a cheesy story get in the way of a popcorn bucket and a mindless good time!

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WORTH:  Rental

RED

Occupational Hazards
[Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Ellen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban]



image from collider.com

RANT: It's been awhile since I was able to get to the movie theater. Last weekend consisted of attending the New York Comic Con. I got to hang out with the "Women of Battlestar Galactica" and the cast of AMC's "The Walking Dead". And since I still was basking in the afterglow of comic geekdom, I decide to hang out at Six Flags Great Adventure for Columbus Day for the last gasps of coaster riding. It was truly a wonderful way to exit the Summer!

SYNOPSIS: Attempting to adjust to a life after a career of CIA black OPs, Frank Moses finds himself the target of government assassins. Recruiting the girl he has befriended and other retired specialists, the team head out to find out and stop their pursuers.

The marketing touts "RED" as the best action comedy of the year. Of course we all know that marketing is designed to get us to the theatre. Personally, I went to the movies because of the action star power of Bruce Willis. As a fan of Willis and his track record of action excellence, I usually go to any film that he is involved in. Even his lesser works are fun to watch. Director Robert Schwentke, known for Jodie Foster's "Flightplan" and Eric Bana's "The Time Traveler's Wife", takes the all-star cast of Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ellen Mirren and John Malkovich on a cross-country trip of guns and laughs.

Bruce Willis stars as Frank Moses, a retired CIA operative adjusting to life without adrenaline. Constantly calling Mary Louise Parker's Sarah at the pension office, Frank tries to strike more than a friendship with her. One night, a wetworks team attempts to assassinate Frank in his Ohio home. Frank travels to Kansas City to collect Sarah as her live is in jeapardy as a result of their phone chats. Enlisting the aid of former wetworks and black operatives Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Moses and his team piece together the reasons why they are being targeted for elimination. As they dig deeper, they find that the contracts are being signed by parties that may be beyond the scope of even the US government's covert branches.

Willis actually plays the straight man in this film. He proves that even though he is not in "Die Hard" prime, Bruce is ever the action hero. Meanwhile, the comedy comes easily as Willis is surrounded by the quirkiness of a deranged John Malkovich, the smooth stylings of Morgan Freeman, the naive excitement of Mary-Louise Parker, and the sexy confidence of Helen Mirren. On a side note, Mirren made me fall in love with her again with a role toting semi-automatics,

On the other side of the coin is Karl Urban's CIA agent William Cooper contracted to eliminated Moses by his superiors. Driven by blind ambition, Cooper echoes what Moses was in his career's youth. Urban plays Cooper cool and collected, a hulking presence in a "company" issued suit. Rebecca Pidgeon plays Cooper's superior Cynthia Wilkes, a ever present CIA spook.

The film is well paced in plot, action and laughs, all done up in perfect balance. The stars make the movie, but the movie stands just as tall on its other merits. The film, aside from kicking ass and causing laughs, gives us a glimpse of what adjustment to retirement can do to a person, as well as what it is like to extend past your perception of use to society. If you are a fan of any of the cast, give this flick a shot. Of course, make sure you are not on the receiving end of Helen Mirren's sniper scope!

Worth: Matinee and DVD

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!

Surrogates

Have A Surrogate See This Movie For You!
[Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames]

Tacking onto the new movement of near-future sci-fi scripts like Gamer, this movie is not as appealing or action-packed as iRobot. In an attempt to add a deeper meaning to the movie, real people decide to live through mechanical constructs that are more "perfect" and forget how to interact as flawed individuals... kind of like how teenagers text each other when they are sitting 2 feet away from each other in today's age. A cautionary tale of where technology could lead us, and the mystery of how the non-surrogate few try to rebel against the future, I was let down on interest, emotion or reason to care.

Worth: Netflix rental